Feeding mechanism por rotary printing machines



A. H. SMITH.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES.

RENEWED APR. IB,1922.

APILICATIDN FILED AUG.6. I9I8I Patented Nov. 28, 1922.;

2 SHEETS-S I EET I.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY,

m B Y L 7,

A. H. SMITH.

MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRXNUNG MACHiNES.

AUGJS, 1918 RENEWED APR.1B,1922.

1,436,688. 7 Patented Nov. 23, 1922 2 SHEETS- SHEU 2- FEEIHNG APPLICATION HLED hn cltherem to my invention is ractice has resulted Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mos n. surrn, I

conrnmr; or new 101m,

or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, nssxeiton 'ro m ss on-ii, mini: i'rd'r'n A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

mums :imcmmsm son norms misuse monies;

Application med August is, raw, sum no. new. nausea: s in is, 1652. sans-1 no. we.

TQqZl u iitomjt may concern.-

B e it known at I, Amos H. .Sm'rn, a citizen of the United Ste'tesresi iiig at the horonghof Brooklyn, in theci yof New 5 Ydrk, eounty of Kings, nncl State of New .YQlfk; heve invented certain new and usefnl Improvements in Feeding Mefbhnnisms ior ltotery Printing Machines, of which the follovfqing is a sec ficetioh reierence-being t enccompunying rewings, whiflh forms pnrt'th'ereof.

y y invention re sites to feeding mec'lienisms for; rotary printing machines, and more particularly to a mecheni'sm adapted 15' for usewith a, Jrinting' machine Df'this type using engrave intaglio, ,or nnder snrtace printing letes.

. Hereto ore in printin type with; which the fee V adapted to' be used, it has been the. practice to feed the sl'ieet of dampened paper directly between the members ,o't' the t printin eonPle by a. mechanism carried by the tee shel or by hand, This in redesign of machine mwhich the elapsed time between themekin of the imprintund the delivery of the printed sheet is very brief.

In a machine l l flizing the feeding mecha- 80 nism of my invention, the dempenecl sheet machines of the may be registered upon the feed 'shel'f and del vered upon the: printing plete, by e. gripper mechanism carried. by the impression c lincler thus permittmgsnch sin organisa- ,35 tron in the structure of the niachinees w ll permit the sheet to rerna in upon the plate for a greater interval than has been heretofore possible.

To ensure an eii'ective feeding o'flthe' 40 sheet, it is essential that the gripper fingers cafrriecl by the impression cylin' er, or I roll, lay entirely within, or upon, the lane of the periphery'of the D'-ro l'l, and e so constructed as to adjust themselves to any irregularities in the plate .or plates, while bringingthe sheets into printing relation thereto. 7 v

A, further characteristic. of a feeding mechanism made in accordance with my inng mechanism of i'eleasififg the Pepsi, "Iur movement to the grippers,

ventibn, is that when the sheets have been tween the-plate u on the pflete cylinder, and the b n-nket er 5 than u on the impression eyhn er, the grippers re edse the sheet, subsequent feedlng mover'nen't thereof resiilting from therotation of the members ofthe prifitm couple; the printecl' sheetbein subse penty remoged from the hints y a- (le lvery m'echamsin positioned more or less remote from the nnt'rng point, according to the design of machine. To ensure the proper timely disen'gagem'ent of the gnppe'rs from the sheet, I prov tle ectnatmgdrnesins common to all of the gr ppers, an i so construct I the several gr ppers that the ectutitibn of this means may eat tliiferentially thereon, so thet none of send gr pers may be (lisengnge'd from the sheet 1mm arm the forward edge of the sheet ha's' been engaged between the members of the printing couple, whereuponall the fingers will infst-iintlfy follow the-plate, thus By imparting-e circuduring this releasing mien, their speed of movement wllhb relatively greater than that of the late, i'hich coincides with the speecl of the -r oll) end by liavin'g this circular movement ex' ndithfough a sufiici'ently long are, t com lete disengagement of the grippers with-t e sheet'is" ensured; afn'd en tenclenc 'of the sheet'to follow the Q-roll- 1s avoids By the flifljerntizil movement of the several grippers ebofve referred to; no i'rreguleritles an the height of the plate. can interfere with the actuating mechanism for the rippers, and the instantaneous "action of a1 gr-1 )pers will be ensured.

A iurt er object of the invention is to provide ,a simple gri per actuating mechanis'm, which will imp'art atimely actuation to the grippers when receiving the sheet, and when releasing it.

.The invention consists primarily-in a feeding mechsni'snifor rotary printing machines, emhodyin therein the combinahas with a'pl'ate cy'inder, linden imgar'ession cylinder 01* D' roll of afeed 'she 15, a

' forth and descri so in lurality of impression cy 1n adapted to successively close said grippers upon a sheet adjacent said feed shelf, and p l5 0 on said grippers'to release the sheet after t e forward ed thereof has gassed between the printing couple; an insuch other novel features of construction and combination of d, and more particularl pointed out in the, claims hereto appends Referring to the-drawings,

Fi 1 is asectional view of art of a printing couple, showing a feeding mecha- 16 nism embed mg my invention in connection therewith, t e positions of the-'gri pers in releasing .and prior to en ging,'t e sheet, being indicatedin, dotted inee,. v F 2=is an end view cfthe'D-roll showe actuating means for the grippers;

an 4 i o I Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the ipper-meehanism.

' 'Like etters refer to like parts throughout theseveral views.

In the embodiment of my invention, shown in the drawings the rinting couple consists ofja plate eylin er a aving mounted thereon an engravedintaglio, or under-sur- =80 face rioting plate a, andan im ression -ro1l bprovided with t e usuallin er-or" .b anket orother impression surface 25, and having the' usual recessed portion b. Adv jac'ent said impression cylinder or D-roll is ttxa feed shelf 0. The rearward edge of the recess 11;, in the'direetion of rotation of said roll, is slightly beveled as at b, to afford a gri ping area with which the various rip per ngers, to behereinafter describe ,jco-

40 operate. The means for securing the blanket dr-other'impression surface, to the D-roll and the actuating means for said D.-roll, are

'* not-showm'as such are well known inthis art,-and' form' no part ofthe present inven- Mounted within the recessb is agri per mechanism adapted to receive sheets om the shelf sand eonve them into the printin :relation to the p ate a, suitable means b61118 provided whereby the rippers of said mechanism will receive time y actuations to -close' them upon the edge of the sheet as it 'is fed from theshelf'o, and to open them in 'a manner to" release the sheet. after the a'at a point more or less remote from the to printing point.

arts,- as are hereinafter-set has the subsequent feeding-pars; The rise j is 1,4se,eee

I The figripper mechanism is so constructed as to r y gri the forward edge of the sheet between 't e gripper fingers and the ortion of the gripping area b oo-operating therewith respectively, while permitting movement of said fingers inexcess of that release of. the ripper fingers, irrespective ip the paper tocompensate gr face of the plate,

'of such inegu antics in the plate, and

avoids the necessity for any extreme nicety in the adjustment of said fingers in relation t0 th'e plate, or'in the actuating meansfor said fingers, N

In the'form ofthe invention shown, this gripper mechanism comprisesa shaft s mounted in the recess 6" of the impression cylinder or D-roll b, said shaft carrying a sequence of blocks 'f mounted thereon so as to be adjustahleaxially and circumferentially thereof, and to have movement therewith. Each of these blocks has thereon a stop upon one side of the shaft 0, and a spring seat fupon the other side of said 8 aft. block f is a gripper finger ghaving a. heel g adapted to co-operate with the stop f and a7 spring seat g 'oppositeli disposed to the s ring seat f. 'Aepring is seated between t e spring seats and g, and has a normal te'ndency'to hol the heel g iii-engagement with Lthe sto'pff'. The various gri per fin ersg 'are curved as shown, the e rec-of t is curvature conformin more or ess to that of the impression cy inder orD-roll b, and ensuring thegripper-fingers in'their Pivotally mounted inrelation to each entirety being 11' on, or contained within,

lever. i 'piv-f tfhe plane of'sai' cylinder when engaging- .t e r l I a endplates f having a fall a apted to'oecillate the v ever a and the s aft a in a manner to close the grippersand a rise 55' adapted to oscil late said shaft in a manner to'open the grip than the fall 1'. his cam is so s'etas to sag rippers so as to release the sheet as itasses rem between the plate .a' and the -b anket' sheet has reached the printing position in v referably more gradual d timethe closing of the grippers so; as to the forward edge of the sheet adio centthe feed shelf a, and the opening of the relation'to the plate. Acting upon the lever roll I), the paper we will be released by said i, to hold the roller upon the stud I in grip er fingers, and thus have no tendency )roper relation'to the cam j, is a spring is. to o ow the impression cylinder.

his, however, is merely a mechanicaler In followin the plate a, the various 6 pechence, and; is not an essential of the mfingers g will have u. rotative movement in 70 vention, it being merely necessary that said the direction of rotation of the cylinder or roller shall be held in constant contact with D-roll b, thus causing them to have movesa d cam. p ment away from the forward edge, and in TIIB POI'tIOHS and j are concentric. with the direction of movement of,th'e paper. I the onse rotational the impression cylm- The length of the rise is sufficient to imder or 41111 b. The paper Sheet is mdipart a continuing movement to the shaft 6 rated at m. until the degree of divergence of the. plate The 'QPQI'MIOXI of the herein described a and the surface I) is sufiicient to permit mechanism is substantially as follows:- the fingers g to clear the plate, and there- 15 As'sumingthat the parts are in" the osiafter to completely reverse the fingers, so tion shown in full lines in Fig. 1 0 the as to osition them within the recess 7). drawings, withthe various gripper fingers Said ngers will remain in this position g in engagement-with the forward edge of while the roller 11 on the stud i is engaging the sheet, pressing ortions thereof against the portion o the cam, and until said 20 the gripping area a orded by the portion of roller reaches the fall 7" upon the next feedas the blan st or other impression surface 6' ing movement. covering the beveled portion 6 subsequent As the shaft 6 passes the forward edge of rotary movement of the-plate cylinder :1 and the feed shelf a, the roller upon the stud i impression cylinder or D-roll'b will bring the will follow the fall 7" of the cam j, thus im- 2 orward ed e of the sheet into aosition parting a retiu'n oscillatory movement to where it wil be engaged between the lanket the lever 'i and causing the gear 5 thereon to or otherimpressionsuriace "b and the plate reverse the direction of'rotation of the shaft a. If by reason of irregularities in the sure, thus closing the various gripper fin ers face ofl'the plate,a portion thereof engages g upon-the forward edge of the sheet which s0 :inyof the gr'i per fingers, or in case any of is projected beyond the edge of the shelf 0 4 after, or substantial y simultaneously with, and the closing action of which is said gripper ngers project sli htly beyond so as to extend parallel with the rip in the surface b, said'fingerdg will yield to'the area afforded by the portion 12 at the f pressure thereon from sea plate against the of the recess b. By having the fall 5} fairly tension of'the spring A acting thereon, thus short,the movement of the 'ripper fingers in 35 permitting thegripper fingers to conform to closing upon the sheet, wui. be fairly rapid, the'surfac'eof the E ate, the difierent fingers although this all may he graduated so as to being capableof t is diflerent-ial movement have only the completion of the closing 7 by reason of the factthat each is spring supmovement occur at the proper interval.

ported. The lever '5 acts against the tension of the 4 During this rotation'the roll upon the spring is when said lever is being actuated stud i will'be travelling'u'pon the concentric by the rise j, and is actuated by said spring portion 3" of the cam, so that the shaft a will to cause said lever to follow, the fall jl.

receive no movement from its actuating By utilizing gripper fingers, the opening mechanism. Just rior to, immediately action of which is against spring) tension,

y a posithe engagement of the plate a withthe sheet tively acting mechanism, the necessity for of paper m, said roller will enga the rise adjusting each of these fingers to the plate, 9" upon the cam thus'rocking t e lever a or plates, upon a machine, is obviated. Furoutwardly, and t rough the segmental gear thermore, it any one of the-fingers, during 13' thereon, nnsarting a rotative movement to the initial opening thereof, encounters an obthe gear e an the shaft e, and to the various struction, the spring it upon that finger will blocks f thereon.- This rotative movement yield, thus avoiding any necessity for any of the blocks will have a tendency, through extreme nicety in the setting of the actuating the springs to move the various fingers means for the several fingers. B so setting Mtg away from their sc -operating gripping the several fingers that they will substan- -areasjd', l Such movementyhowever, is contially bear upon the plate when delivering trolled by the engagement of said fingers the sheet thereto. the forward edge of the with the plate of. "The movement of the sheet is brought into close prorimity to the blocks I will, hmvevenplace the various plate. thus facilitating the application of the (Ni springs I; under tension, so that said gripper sheei to the plate in a manner to permitit to fingels 9 will follow the plate under the conbe conveyed thereby to the collecting or detrol of their springs,- and independently'of livery mechanism.

the shaft 0. Hence, with the initial diverg- It is not my intention to limit the invenenr'e ofthe'platc a andtheim ression surtion to the precise details of construction t6 face- V'upon the impression cy inder or 0- shown in the accompanying drawings, it he- 13c claim as new, and

' xforyerd edge w-"zo "impression cyhn or or she 15, end open said. gn

as "p'assed'between the printing couple, and per; an

-'bet.ween the printing coup to remain upon the prmtin ing apparent that such may, be varied without departing from the spirit and scope ot the invention.

Having described the invention what I desire to have protected by, Letters Patent, is

1 A feeding-mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying theremin combination witha plate cylinder, cylinder-or D-roll and a feed shelf, of a plu rality of'grippers mounted upon said impression cylinder or D-roll', end means ada ted to euccessivelyaotuate saidgrip ers to'c ose'them' upon it sheetat thefeed self and until after the forward edge thereof has passed the printing couple,. and impart a reverse movement to said. gri :pe'rs after the p of the sheet as passed tweenthie printingcouple, at a speed to cause them 'tohave movement awa from the orward edge of the paper in he direction of movement thereof, and thus release the sheet.

after the forward edge thereof has passed between the printing couple, and permit it to remain upon the printin plate. a

2. A'feedmg mechanism or rotary printin machines embodying-therein n combinttion with alate cylinder, en impressioncylinder or roll" and e feed shelf, ofmounted upon said a Iurali of ri are p ty g p D roll, eotuatin ncline adapted to successively close sai 'gri pers .npon "a sheet adjacent-f said fee pets to release the sheet 'laiterjthe; iorwai edge thereoi has niit-it to remain npon the. printing plate, means-whereby said grippers respectivel ere-adapted to have movement indepen ently of said actuating means, to permit the different gripp p surface condit ons of the plate.

printmachines embodyin' therein in comi tecy inder, an impresbination with a sion cylinder or a plurality of grippersimpression cylinder or means for. said grippers, nections between said actuating meansant all of sai-d ippers, embodying therein means adapts to rotate'said grippers in one mounted upon said D-roll, actuating and operative con- :direction is close them upon a sheet adjacent said feed shelf and hold them closed until- I the forward edge of the sheet has passed the printing couple, opposite directionhnd in rotation of the. Plate at a the' direction of speed which will after the forward edge thereof has passed and permit it plate.

4. A feeding mechanism or rotary print- ""6 5 i'ng machines embodying therein-m som-v said grippers to release the an impression.

the printingcouph,

"said grippers throughsai per-s may conform to arying the i ingI-rn-echines embodyin s eels njcomhmetion w th. a s1on, cylinder or are to conform to varyingp sand .hngers are.

ngers. ,7 6. A feeding mechanism. -roll and a feed shelf, of-

one'side of said s the-0th 1' side thereof, a gripper finger pit- "12 'd to rotate them in the v 1 cause them to have movement away from the '-forwn.rd edge of the sheet to release the sheet binationwith a. late cylinder, an impression cylinder 01' s-roll and' a feed shelf, of a plurelity pi; gricpperslmounted upon said nnpressio'n cyhn or or D-roll, actuating means common to shel and open sheet after the passed between a sheet adjacent said feed forward ,edge thereof has upon the printing plate, end a spring operative upon each of said grip ers, whereby a difl'erentiel' movement me I; e impert'ed to actueti means, when opening said grippers, end said surfececon 1'} tionsoi' the plate. l j 5. A feeding mechanism .forrotary print- -roll' and a feed shelflgof an. osclliatory she-ft, mounted in the; recessed portion of said impressifonl c linder 1on0 roll, actuating fmea'ns for Sui .fshait, aplurulity of 'blocks' carried lay-Hand .rotatebleec with said shaft, a ripper n er 'ivo'tall mouiited 'reletion to each of said .bloch cooperating means, carried upon each of said blocks end its assodiated grip whereby said f'mgersmay bes m closed upon a sheet Jadj scent said feed shelf, and a'flexible connectionede ted to'tra-nsmit d movement from cachet, sa d blocks tofits associated f nger, to; release the sheet after the forwards the printing couple,

said fingers ma, nallyjoi itsbloc shaft may have anlopninganoyemeiit'while' '1 1 engagement, with jtlleel'ete, wlthout import ng morement'to said.

in machines 'eiizibodxi'ng" the reign oo'mhina ion with a plete' cylinder, anfnnpressionfl cylinder orl D roll enda feed" shelf, of in oscillatory shaft mounted .-in the recessed-l 1 'portionfpi said impression eiylinder or 0- 1 16 roll, actuating means for sa'i sha1t, e pl'u' rali'ty of blocks" carried By, and rotatable with, said shaft each having a' stop upon I aft and a spring seet'npon ota'lly mounted in relationqto .eaehof seid blocks, andhevingthereon ah'eel adapted to engage. seid, stop-i'zpon'said block, and a between said spri seats, whereby said fin- I rs may be 'snn taneously closed upon a s set acha'cent said-teed shelhlend eechof have movement independsaid fin are me allot said "grippers ada t- 7o ed to succeeslvely close said, gr pore-upon and permit it to. remain as g'ri so der, 1 an impres st ge thereof has passed between, r and permit it to remiiin upon the: printing plate; whereby eech o.t I

:have moyement' indij/idp to conform to'th'elpoition ofthe plate with-which it contacts; en said forwi ottij printire ently o its'blo ,to con rm to'theportion, sle- 1,4se,ees

of the plate to which it contacts, and said shaft may have movement while said fingers are in engagement with the late, without imparting movement to said ngers.

7. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein in combination with a plate cylinder, an im ression cylinder or D-roll and a feed shel of? an oscillatory vshaft mounted in the recessed portion of said impression cylinder or D- roll, a. lurality of blocks carried by and rotatab e with, said shaft, a gripper finger pivotally mounted in relation to each of said blocks, co-operatin means carried upon each of said blocks an its associated gripper finger, whereby said fingers may be simultaneously closed 11 on a-sheet adg'acent said feed shelf, a flexib e connection a apted to transmit movement from each of said blocks to its associated finger, to release the sheet. after. the forward edge theieof has passed between the printing couple, and ermit it to remain u on the printing p ate, whereby each of saic fingers may have movement individually of its block to conform to the portion of the plate with which it contacts, and said shaft may have an opening movement while said fingers are in engagement with the plate, withoutimparting movement to said fingers, and actuating means for said shaft, comprising a gear carried by said shaft, an oscillatory lever havin a segmental gear thereon meshing with said first named gear, and a cam having a. fall thereon adapted to rock said shaft in one direction to close the grippers, and to rock it in the opposite direction to open said grippers. a

8. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein in combination with a plate cylinder, an impression. cylinder or D-roll and a feed shelf. of an oscillatory shaft mounted in the recessed rtion of said im ression cylinder or D- roll, a plurality of b ocks carried by, and retatable with, said shaft, each having a stop upon one side of said shaft and a spring seat upon the other side thereof, a gripper finger pivotally mounted in relation to each of said locks, and having thereon a heel adapted to engage said step seat oppositely disposed as to the spring seat of said block, a spring seated between said pars in engagement wit 1 the upon said block, a spring spring seats, whereby said fingers may be simultaneously closed upon a sheet adjacent said feed shelf, and each of said fingers may have movement independently of its block, to conform to the portion of the plate to which it contacts, and said shaft may have movement while said fingers are in engage ment with late, without imparting movement to saic fingers, and actuating means for said shaft, comprising a gear carried by said shaft, a lever mounted upon said impression cylinder 0r D-rolhhavin a segmental gear thereon meshing with salt first named gear, and a cam operative upon said lever, having a fall thereon whereby said shaft will be rocked in one direction toclose said fingers upon a sheet adjacent said feed shelf, and saidshaft will be rocked in the opposite direction to actuate said fin are through said sprin after the forward e ge of a sheet has passe between the printing couple, and to permit said sheet to remain upon the printing plate.

9. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an impression cylinder or D-roll, a feed shelf, an oscillatory shaft mounted in the recessed portion of the impression cylinder or D-roll, gri )per fingers adapted to be actuated by sai shaft, and actuating means for said shaft comprising a gear carried thereby, a lever mounted upon said impression cylinder or D-roll, and having a segmental gear thereon meshing with said first named gear, and a cam having a fall thereon adapted to actuate said lever to close said grippers upon a sheet adjacent said feed shell, a dwell therein of sufiiclent len h to hold said gripsheet until after the forward edge thereof has passed the printing point, and a rise thereon adapted to oscillate said shaft in the opposite direction and at a speed to cause said grippers to move away from the forward edge of the sheet to release the sheet and permit said sheet to remain upon the printing plate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature, this 18th day of July, 1918, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AMOS H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

F. T. Wnrr'rwon'rn, A. E. Rm-rron'. 

